Checked Barometer August 2026
Edition of 26 September 2026 · KBO · Belgian Official Gazette
In August 2026, the Belgian Official Gazette published 485 bankruptcies, 13% fewer than in August 2025. In August 2026, 9,178 companies were incorporated, 12% more than in August 2025.
This edition was compiled on 26 September 2026, after its regular publication date (6 September 2026). The figures are that day's count and no longer change.
Bankruptcies
485
-13% year on year-30% month on month
10,959 over twelve months
Judicial reorganisations
26
-26% year on year-54% month on month
584 over twelve months
Judicial dissolutions
9
-86% year on year-85% month on month
3,044 over twelve months
In brief
Sentences taken straight from this edition's figures. Credit Checked.be as the source.
Incorporations
- In August 2026, 9,178 companies were incorporated, 12% more than in August 2025.
- Compared with July 2026 (14,936), that is 39% fewer.
- Over the twelve months from September 2025 to August 2026 there were 152,481, 18% more than the twelve months before.
Bankruptcies
- In August 2026, the Belgian Official Gazette published 485 bankruptcies, 13% fewer than in August 2025.
- Compared with July 2026 (689), that is 30% fewer.
- Over the twelve months from September 2025 to August 2026 there were 10,959, 3.6% more than the twelve months before.
- That is the lowest monthly figure since August 2024.
- By area: 222 in Flanders, 115 in Wallonia and 148 in Brussels and Halle-Vilvoorde.
Judicial reorganisations
- In August 2026, the Belgian Official Gazette published 26 judicial reorganisations, 26% fewer than in August 2025.
- Compared with July 2026 (56), that is 54% fewer.
- Over the twelve months from September 2025 to August 2026 there were 584, 16% more than the twelve months before.
Judicial dissolutions
- In August 2026, the Belgian Official Gazette published 9 judicial dissolutions, 86% fewer than in August 2025.
- Compared with July 2026 (61), that is 85% fewer.
- Over the twelve months from September 2025 to August 2026 there were 3,044, 19% fewer than the twelve months before.
- That is the lowest monthly figure since January 2019, the start of this series.
By region
August 2026, with the change on the same month a year earlier.
| Area | Incorporations | Bankruptcies | Judicial reorganisations | Judicial dissolutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flanders | 4,674+8.5% | 222-16% | 5-44% | 4+33% |
| Wallonia | 2,504+32% | 115-14% | 16-20% | 3-91% |
| Brussels and Halle-Vilvoorde | 1,753+23% | 148-7.5% | 5-17% | 2-93% |
| No known area | 247-56% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Belgium | 9,178+12% | 485-13% | 26-26% | 9-86% |
The Brussels courts also serve Halle-Vilvoorde, so that arrondissement counts with Brussels. Incorporations follow the registered office (for a sole trader, the first establishment).
Bankruptcies by sector
August 2026 against August 2025. Main activity according to the KBO (NACE 2025).
August 2026
August 2025
- Construction ≥ 86
- Accommodation and food service ≥ 70
- Wholesale and retail trade ≥ 61
- Transport and storage ≥ 30
- Professional and technical services ≥ 27
- Administrative and support services ≥ 23
- Manufacturing ≥ 17
- Other services ≥ 15
- Telecoms and IT ≥ 12
- Finance and insurance ≥ 9
Show all 17 sectors
The sector is known for 78% of the cases of August 2026 (107 without a sector). Hence no change per sector.
Incorporations by sector
August 2026 against August 2025. Main activity according to the KBO (NACE 2025).
August 2026
August 2025
- Professional and technical services ≥ 1,256
- Construction ≥ 830
- Wholesale and retail trade ≥ 766
- Administrative and support services ≥ 583
- Other services ≥ 502
- Telecoms and IT ≥ 443
- Transport and storage ≥ 334
- Health and social work ≥ 326
- Accommodation and food service ≥ 311
- Manufacturing ≥ 241
Show all 21 sectors
- Education ≥ 204
- Arts, sports and recreation ≥ 201
- Real estate ≥ 132
- Publishing and media ≥ 121
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing ≥ 70
- Finance and insurance ≥ 44
- Households ≥ 41
- Energy ≥ 10
- Water and waste ≥ 9
- Mining and quarrying ≥ 0
- Public administration ≥ 0
The sector is known for 70% of the cases of August 2026 (2,754 without a sector). Hence no change per sector.
Notable sectors
The largest shifts against August 2025, from 10 cases and a difference of 5 cases.
For bankruptcies, the sectors of this month and of August 2025 are not equally well known (78% and 61%); a comparison per sector would measure our coverage, not the economy.
For incorporations, the sectors of this month and of August 2025 are not equally well known (70% and 79%); a comparison per sector would measure our coverage, not the economy.
Cite these figures
This page no longer changes: the link keeps pointing at the same figures.
Checked.be, Checked Barometer August 2026 (edition of 26 September 2026), https://checked.be/en/barometer/2026-08
How these figures are counted
- An edition appears on day 6 of the next month, so the last days of the month are processed, and is then frozen: the figures on this page no longer change. If data for the month arrives later, it is listed above under Revisions.
- Incorporations: companies per month of their start date in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, sole traders included.
- Bankruptcies, judicial reorganisations (opening) and judicial dissolutions: by month of publication in the Belgian Official Gazette, not of the judgment.
- Sectors: the main activity (NACE 2025) the KBO gave the company. Where the sector of part of the cases is unknown, the figure carries "≥" and we compare per sector only when both months are equally well known.
- Per 10,000 active companies: the month's figure against the sector's active companies on the day the edition was frozen.